long time Archives - Diana Derringer

Forever and a Day

April 18, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Thousands of people hike the twenty-one-mile Rim to Rim Grand Canyon trail. They probably feel like it takes forever and a day during the heat of summer. The trail includes a one-mile hike down and another up. Most hikers require an overnight stay in the canyon. The park suggests most visitors not try that trail in the hottest weather. Temperatures reach over 100° F.

Forever and a day means a long time.

Forever is eternal or always. It will never end, so we cannot add time to it. Forever and a day simply adds emphasis. It exaggerates the idea.

We wish some experiences would end quickly.

They feel like they last forever.

Illness
Tests
Boring speeches
Workdays when we want to go home

We look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

We wish other experiences would last forever.

Favorite vacations
Love for family
Fun with friends

All who follow Jesus have an eternal home in heaven.

Time without end in perfect peace with God
No more sorrow or pain (or boring speeches)
Joy beyond anything we can imagine.

At the end of the road, we have no better way to spend forever and a day.

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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A Month of Sundays

April 1, 2019 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

A month of Sundays means a long time.

“I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays” was a common greeting where I grew up. This often happened with:

Out-of-state relatives who visited once a year
People who went to school together years earlier
Grandparents who had not seen grandchildren for a few days

They meant the time between visits seemed to last forever.

A month of Sundays also means something will never happen.

If invited to pet a snake, many might reply, “Not in a month of Sundays.” They never plan to do it.

God gave Sundays for worship and rest.

Worship allows people to focus on God. Rest gives them a pick-me-up after a hard week of work.

Years ago on Sundays, many churches did not allow:

Games or sports
School or community events
Shopping
Work, except emergencies
Anything much except church attendance and quiet rest

Therefore, some people thought Sundays lasted a long time. A month of Sundays would have felt extra long.

I fear people today have gone too far the other direction. They burn their candles at both ends. As a result, they stay tired and stressed without God’s day of rest.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8 NKJV).

Thanks to Carole Fite and Darrin Jenkins for this suggestion. Thanks also to Taylor County Bank for the use of their calendar page with Larry Smith’s photo.

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